Robberbaron

Nicely done. I agree - the red/gold combo on these cars was especially eye catching.

Actually, with a little research, this is the first kit offered by Dave and Model King in the 1990 to 1993 range.

Nice chop on this one. Just enough without going overboard. Looking forward to seeing this one come together - I don't think I've ever seen this kit built as a tail dragger. Seems like everyone goes the gasser or rat rod route with this one usually. Nice to see something different, and I think you're on the right track with that nailhead.

VERY NICE! Love the subtlety of those ghost stripes, and I also like the fact that you're finishing it off as a "conventional" Malibu in lieu of an SS. Also like the job you did integrating that cowl scoop. Seems like too many people have trouble getting those integrated well. Definitely seems true to the style that many guys would build in 1:1.

Great start, looks like this thing should look wicked. What chassis are you using?

Shaping up to be one slick Buford there! Amazing what great lines these cars had from the factory. This is some of the cleanest body work I've seen - can't wait to see the finished product.

Gonna be keeping my eyes on this one...

Man, that's nice.

Nice job on that vinyl top! Car really comes to life with that white C stripe contrasting with the black top and guts.

Tastefully done and clean. Love the color selection, too.

Beautifully done. Brings back memories from when I was a kid. An old guy in the neighborhood had a white 67 Dodge with a black top (those weren't too common in the Chicago area by the late 70s). I used to love watching that car back out of his driveway and seeing those big "delta" tail lights lighting up.

Impressive! I especially like your wheel choice.

Would never guess that you had problems with this build - looks flawless to me...

Like the vibe on this one. I especially like your color choices - really helps tie it in to the early 60s era.

Love seeing something different like this being built. It's a crime that most of the Johan tooling like this is gone forever.

Nice history Kataranga! Couple clarifications: the grille in the Night Moves and Branding Iron issues is actually the stock 1981 model year grille, not a custom tube unit. The GMC Caballero version has the 1980 model year grille, with the Buick-style vertical bars. When AMT/Ertl converted this kit to the SS, it was a mixed bag. They really butchered the front end of the body, and it takes a fair amount of work to get the nose to fit properly. You can also tell they rushed the job, since the vertical bars in the grille of the SS nose aren't even spaced evenly on the passenger side (you can see this in the pic of the 2002 box art). However, they did see fit to upgrade the dash to the proper 1981+ style, which MPC never bothered doing. If memory serves me correctly, I believe they also added the trim that circles the top of the bed and tailgate. I restored a glue-bomb of the Night Moves issue back in the 90's, and I seem to recall being surprised that the trim was missing on that version. The SS kit also changed the seats to buckets (the monster truck had a bench), but they didn't bother adding a console. I believe you could order a 1:1 like this, but it's definitely not how most were optioned. I recently bought the latest MPC-branded Round 2 reissue of this kit from Hobby Lobby. One change that surprised me is that, in addition to the 5-hole "eighties-style" rally wheels that are shown on the box art, they now also include a set of the 6-hole rallys from the older versions of the tooling. The 1991 issue of the SS did not have these.

One of the nicest builds I have seen of this kit. (Both builds actually). Love the red guts with the white exterior. Wouldn't change a thing. Would be nice if Revell finally decided to reissue the GT version. Missed that one on the first go-round...

True, and in my opinion it is depicted positively. I do seem to recall that they included a Monogram GSX in his model collection, which briefly took me "out of the moment" of the movie, since the film is set in the late 70's, and that kit wouldn't have been available until the late 80's, I believe. Maybe it was meant as a slight omage to the 68 or 69 Skylark that they used in the movie. Forgot about that one. I seem to recall that they showed him working on a Revell 69 Camaro early on in the movie. I think that aspect was an attempt to show his immaturity at the start of the film, which unfortunately seems like the most common reason for showing model building in TV/movies.

When I first saw this reissue announced, I didn't have much interest. But now that I see the contents, I'm pleasantly surprised: 2 engines, 3 different hoods, multiple build options.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome, Christopher! Congrats on quitting smoking, hang in there. Probably the single best thing you can do for your health.

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone. I agree on being glad that I built up such a stockpile of kits when they were cheaper. After I started taking a renewed interest in models, probably my biggest shock was the leap in prices compared to just 10 years ago. Still willing to spend the money if I know a new kit is high quality, like the Revell '57 Ford and the '50 Olds. Roy, thanks for the heads up on Indy. Not sure if I'll be able to make it, but will definitely keep it in mind.

I've been a lurker on this forum (and a few others) for the last couple years, decided I'd finally make the leap so I can contribute. My story is pretty typical: started building models when I was a kid. My model-building skills and productivity increased as I got older, but then during high school the "other" interests started taking over, namely real cars, girls, music, etc. I didn't stop building cold turkey, rather it just kind of tapered off as the years went by and the free time decreased. My last build was a Revell 69 Camaro that I completed around 1997 while still in college. I actually kept buying kits several years afterward, with a plan for each one I purchased, but never got around to building further. By the time I got married and then had kids, I completely dropped out of the car model universe for several years. I did miss it, and always kept all the plans in the back of my head for each unbuilt kit in my stash. Luckily I never sold off my collection, so I still have all my old builds, and at this point probably enough unbuilts to last me a lifetime. Free time is still at a premium between work, family, home improvement projects, you name it. But I still find a tremendous amount of enjoyment just viewing everyone's artwork on this forum. To me a well-built model car is something to be admired, no different than a perfectly restored 1:1 vehicle. I look forward to being a part of the community, and maybe I'll even manage to start getting a few new builds done. Thanks, Rob